[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-shao-song":3,"chapter-shao-song-shao-song-chapter-179":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"chinese","Shao Song",{"chapter":7,"nextChapterSlug":19,"prevChapterSlug":20,"totalChapters":21,"novelImage":22},{"id":8,"novel_id":9,"title":10,"slug":11,"index":12,"content":13,"wordcount":14,"created_at":15,"updated_at":15,"volume":16,"translator":17,"content_hash":18},1558345,2024,"Chapter 179: Carefree, Sending Off the Sun and Moon","shao-song-chapter-179",179,"\u003Cp>As the story goes, Hu Yin, Moqi Xie, County Magistrate Huang, and Commander Han were all squeezed into a cramped cell. Although no one dared to slight them, and Wu Jie had even carefully sent people to clean it, it was summertime, and some things in a place like this couldn't be solved by cleaning alone.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>One was the stench of natural bodily functions, and the other was the mosquitoes, lice, and such that bred throughout the entire prison.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When Qu Duan, fully armored, entered the prison and sat down cross-legged in front of this cell with an air of authority, the four men inside were just catching lice for each other in the dim light of the cell.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Of course, upon seeing this man enter, with Wu Jie and another high-ranking officer standing behind him on either side, hands resting on their swords, the four men immediately stopped what they were doing and straightened up, knowing who had arrived.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Commander Han and County Magistrate Huang, being particularly astute, had already retreated to a corner, while Hu Yin and Moqi Xie sat upright across from Qu Duan, exchanging glances... From the mere fact that Qu Duan had come here and that his weapons had ended up in Wu Jie's hands, they could infer a great deal.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For example, that the hearts of the Guanxi army were still leaning more toward the court;\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And also, that Qu Duan was likely just overbearing to the point of insolence, rather than actually rebelling, otherwise he wouldn't have come so easily... Wu Jie had informed them of his plan.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"What crime have I committed, to suffer such humiliation?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Unexpectedly, as soon as both sides were seated, it was Qu Duan who spoke first, and without even introducing himself, he coldly questioned the two men behind the cell bars opposite him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hu Yin, who had prepared a whole speech, was caught off guard. But Moqi Xie, stroking his beard with a faint sneer, remained completely unruffled: \"We are in prison, covered in filth, with nothing to do but catch lice to pass the time. You are outside the prison, in a golden helmet, silver armor, and brocade robes, only deprived of your weapons. How is it that you are the one being humiliated?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Qu Duan was slightly taken aback, then immediately changed his tone: \"Very well. I, Qu Duan, Commander-in-Chief of the Jingyuan Circuit and Prefect of Yan'an Prefecture, dare to ask the Censor-in-Chief: what crime have I committed, to be slandered with rebellion?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Moqi Xie turned his head to look at Hu Yin.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hu Yin, now recovered, sat upright in the cell and asked expressionlessly: \"I would like to ask Commander Qu, as the Commander-in-Chief and Prefect of Yan'an, is it true that you detained your own direct superior, Grand Coordinator Wang Shu, and even intended to kill him? And only after Lord Yuwen disagreed did you forcibly keep the Grand Coordinator's seal and drive him out of the territory?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"It is true!\" Qu Duan answered proudly. At this point, these matters could no longer be hidden.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Why did you do this?\" Hu Yin pressed sternly. \"Do you not know that such actions are tantamount to treason?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Wang Shu is incompetent. It's not that I couldn't handle the situation. What does that have to do with rebellion?\" Qu Duan retorted boldly. \"He lost the army and disgraced the nation to this extent. I wanted to kill him to apologize to the realm. But because Lord Yuwen in Chang'an disagreed, I let him off easily, merely expelling him from Fuzhou. Doesn't this precisely prove my utter loyalty to the state?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wu Jie, his brother Wu Lin, County Magistrate Huang, Commander Han, and everyone else inside and outside the cell were stunned... Setting aside the matter of rank—Wang Shu was your superior—he was the Grand Coordinator of the Yan-Fu Circuit. You failed to kill him, and after Yan'an fell, you stripped him of his official seal and drove him out of Fuzhou. How can you still be so self-righteous, thinking there's no problem?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Since when is it permissible for a subordinate to place his superior under house arrest and drive him from his post?\" Hu Yin suppressed his anger. \"Let alone that you even intended to kill him.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"He lost the army and disgraced the nation!\" Qu Duan remained seated, head held high. \"Everyone in northern Shaanxi wants him dead!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Didn't he lose the army and disgrace the nation precisely because you disobeyed orders and refused to join the battle?\" Hu Yin could no longer control his expression. It seemed not everyone could learn the Son of Heaven's skill of playing the wooden puppet.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Hearing your words, I know you are another useless fool ignorant of military affairs, just like Li Gang and Wang Shu!\" Qu Duan pointed at Hu Yin and shouted sternly. \"Wanyan Loushi's tens of thousands of elite troops are right there. Wang Xie is a bandit who only knows how to run at the first clash. I have barely over ten thousand elite soldiers, the seed of the Guanxi army. We should have deployed along the mountain passes, delaying and retreating layer by layer to preserve our strength... How could I have recklessly thrown them away at Yan'an as Wang Shu wanted? Do you know that if I had followed the logic of you and Wang Shu and rashly joined the battle that day, the entire Guanxi region would have been taken by Wanyan Loushi! You useless fool wouldn't even have a cell to sit in!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hu Yin was stunned speechless by the tirade, and everyone around was equally shocked. But Qu Duan continued his outburst without pause:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Don't you understand? The current situation in Guanxi is entirely preserved by my efforts! And useless fools like you, Wang Shu, and Li Gang, who know nothing of military affairs—every extra word you utter on military matters costs thousands upon thousands of soldiers' lives on the front lines, and shortens the nation's fortune by ten years! The Jin people are only one-third responsible for the nation's calamities, the people's suffering, and the imperial house's humiliation. You useless civil officials, who only know how to talk on paper, are more than two-thirds to blame! Without you, the Jingkang Incident wouldn't even have happened. And now you dare to lecture me?!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hu Yin's face was flushed red, his breath uneven, but he didn't know how to refute. Inside and outside the cell, not just the seven or eight people present, but even the Privy Council attendants and Imperial Guard soldiers in the other cells were completely silent.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Finally, Moqi Xie couldn't bear it any longer and couldn't help interjecting: \"How can you be so rude to the Censor-in-Chief?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At these words, Qu Duan was immediately stunned. Then he clanked his armor as he stood up, faced Wu Jie, and pointed at Hu Yin inside the cell, asking: \"This young man is the Censor-in-Chief Hu Yin? Not the Privy Council Advisor Moqi Xie?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"No!\" Wu Jie replied helplessly. \"The one who just spoke is Advisor Moqi. As for the Censor-in-Chief, Xue Feng mistook him for a fake precisely because the Censor-in-Chief is so young...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Xue Feng is truly innocent.\" Qu Duan turned his head to look at Xue Feng, who was in shackles behind him in the cell and had long since been dumbfounded. He couldn't help but inhale slightly and laugh, though his voice trembled. \"If I were him, encountering such a Censor-in-Chief, I would have killed him with one blow. Why leave him behind to plague the world?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hu Yin's eyes were now bloodshot.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But Qu Duan paid no further attention to the man in the cell. He simply continued speaking to Wu Jie: \"Big Wu, do you see? I have served in the military for twenty years, you for seventeen. We have risked our lives for the state countless times, yet I am merely a Commander-in-Chief and you a Supervisor. But these people, just because they've read a few books, even though they are utterly useless to the state, can become a Vice Chancellor at thirty and decide life and death for you and me with a single word... How unjust is that?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wu Jie wanted to speak but stopped.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But Qu Duan immediately shook his head and corrected himself: \"No, if we're talking about reading, you and I have both studied. I can even compose poetry and write rhapsodies. Why haven't I become a Vice Privy Councilor at forty? Nine out of ten of these people rely on currying favor close to His Majesty to attain high positions. And today, you brothers have handed my life over to such a man?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Not to mention Wu Jie, everyone else inside and outside the cell didn't know how to respond. And Hu Yin, the man directly involved, was already too breathless to speak.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Enough.\" Qu Duan sighed again, seeming to have calmed down. He then turned his head to face Hu Yin in the cell. \"I, Qu Da, consider myself a talented general and a loyal subject. If I had encountered a proper high minister, I would have been willing to debate. But meeting someone like you, I don't even want to argue. If you say I rebelled, then I rebelled. If you want to find an excuse to kill me, then kill me. I will have nothing to say. But I have one thing to tell you: between Wang Shu, Wang Xie, and myself, the people of Guanxi's five circuits and the mountains and rivers of Guanxi will naturally see who is the one who has harmed the state, who is the useless incompetent, and who has strained every nerve to stabilize half of Guanxi. People like you cannot silence the mouths of the multitude! And the clear pages of history will one day give me my due!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At this moment, seeing Moqi Xie covering his face in silence and Hu Yin still breathing heavily, Wu Jie finally stepped forward and knelt on one knee for the first time before the agitated Hu Yin:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Censor-in-Chief, Qu Da's crimes are clear and unmistakable. They stem only from his habitual arrogance and his desire to remove Wang Shu and monopolize military power. He is by no means a traitor. Otherwise, he would have long since formed connections and taken precautions. How could he have come so easily today to see you? I only beg you not to execute him directly just because of his offensive words...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For some reason, Moqi Xie, who had been covering his face, almost laughed: \"Supervisor Wu, let me ask you this: even if General Qu Da, as you say, had no intention of rebelling, and we insist on killing him today... then killing him would indeed be unjust. But given his character, can't we just add that he brought it upon himself?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wu Jie, still on the ground, could not refute this.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But Qu Duan, seeing that it wasn't the young Censor-in-Chief speaking, sneered: \"You civil officials all treat us frontline generals like grass. If I don't rebel, you may wrongfully kill a great general like me, but you cannot easily humiliate me...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Stubborn and self-willed, arrogant beyond measure, despising colleagues, humiliating superiors, constantly violating orders, boasting loudly without a single military achievement... What humiliation is there?\" Moqi Xie sneered back from inside the cell.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"You civil officials dare to speak of military achievements?\" Qu Duan grew furious again.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"How was Nanyang defended? Who fought the battles of Yanling and Changshe?\" Moqi Xie pointed his finger sternly. \"While you were wasting time in northern Shaanxi, the men you mocked in your poems were fighting bloody battles on the Central Plains, driving the Jin entirely out of Henan! You dare to speak of military achievements in front of us?!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Did you two defend Nanyang? Did you two fight the battles of Yanling and Changshe?\" Qu Duan grew even more indignant. \"If you dare to claim it to my face, then where does that leave Han Shizhong and Yue Fei? And you boast of the great victory at Yanling and Changshe, saying you annihilated over a dozen Meng'an, but I wonder how many Jin soldiers you actually killed, and whether you killed civilians to claim credit?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Qu Da!\" Wu Jie was also driven mad by Qu Duan. \"Is it false that the Jin army fled Henan? Is it false that Wanyan Loushi abandoned his advance and turned toward Hedong? With a temper like yours, even if you die today, you deserve it!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"What do you know? Do you think I fear death?\" Qu Duan remained unafraid, still clanking his armor as he retorted. \"I'm just telling you that the Central Plains may have won, but it might not have been such a great victory. And even if the Central Plains won, does that mean the men of Guanxi didn't work hard? Why were so many Grand Marshals rewarded there, while Guanxi was treated so stingily with official posts? Isn't it because they are close to His Majesty, so everyone can be a sycophant who sneaks into favor!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"If that's the case, why don't you go and be close to His Majesty, and become a sycophant who sneaks into favor?\" Hu Yin, who had been silent for a long time, suddenly spoke. He had somehow calmed down. \"I, Hu Mingzhong, know nothing of military affairs, but there are always those in the court who do. You say I'm not worthy to speak of military achievements, but there are always those in the court who are worthy to speak of them before you... When I came, His Majesty granted me the authority to make certain decisions. I can give you the highest treatment and allow you to go to the Eastern Capital to serve before His Majesty as a Deputy Commander-in-Chief of the Imperial Guard. How about that?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wu Jie let out a long sigh of relief.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Qu Duan was slightly taken aback, but then immediately shook his head and laughed again: \"You're just afraid that killing me here will shake the army's morale, so you're luring me to the Eastern Capital to kill me there!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wu Lin, who had been silent all along, couldn't take it anymore: \"Qu Da! This won't do, that won't do. Does everything in the world have to be done by you? If they really wanted to kill you, with that nonsense you just spouted, if the Censor-in-Chief forced us brothers to do it right here, do you think you'd survive?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Qu Duan opened his mouth to retort with more sarcasm, but Wu Jie simply stood up and started pushing him: \"Qu Da, don't go too far. The court has won a great victory on the Central Plains, and the people's hearts are with them. If they really wanted to kill you, why would they go through all this trouble? Whether it's the Censor-in-Chief or Lord Yuwen, if they really wanted you dead, you wouldn't have the slightest chance. And once you reach the Eastern Capital, His Majesty will be the one to decide. If His Majesty wants to kill you, that will be the imperial will, and it will have nothing to do with Censor-in-Chief Hu.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Now, although Qu Duan was known for being both civil and martial, he was no match for Wu Jie, especially with Wu Lin there. So, after a bit of scuffling, Qu Duan was subdued, and someone was found to bind his hands.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even so, Qu Da remained defiant, still spouting annoying words... One moment it was, \"I see, Wu Jie, you want to get rid of me so you can take command of the Guanxi army\"; the next it was, \"This Censor-in-Chief has sent me away. With his ignorance of military affairs, staying here will likely doom the elite seed troops of Guanxi.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As Wu Lin forcefully pushed him out, he still raised his head and sighed long: \"How pitiful that my, Qu Da's, sincere desire to serve my country should be destroyed by such petty men!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the end, he even remembered to give Wu Lin another horse!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Leaving aside this man's antics and refusal to submit, after the commotion subsided, Hu Yin, Moqi Xie, along with County Magistrate Huang, Commander Han, and their previous attendants, all left the prison. Hu and Moqi were then arranged to bathe in a separate courtyard. Seeing no one else around, Moqi Xie could finally no longer hold back:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"The Censor-in-Chief should not have let that scoundrel manipulate you with his words and spare his life. With the arrogant things he said in the prison, even the Wu brothers were angered. Killing him would have been fine.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"It wasn't that he manipulated me with his words,\" Hu Mingzhong said, having left the prison and having secured Wu Jie's cooperation to deal with Qu Duan, yet still looking troubled. \"Rather, when I was at the peak of my anger, I felt that there was indeed some twisted logic in what he said. Besides, as a minister sent by the Son of Heaven to pacify the region, I should not arbitrarily exercise the Son of Heaven's authority for personal power or favor... This man has his merits after all, and he is the foremost general of Guanxi. I felt it would be a pity to kill him. It's better to hand him over to His Majesty to be disciplined.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Very well.\" Moqi Xie shook his head and sighed. \"We'll take him back to the Eastern Capital for now... But what about the situation in Guanxi? Does the Censor-in-Chief think Wu Jie can be used?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Wu Jie can naturally be used,\" Hu Yin replied casually, then suddenly stopped. \"Advisor Moqi, I must trouble you to take this man back to the Eastern Capital to report on your mission. I won't be going.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Moqi Xie was also stunned into stopping, his eyes wide with shock: \"What does the Censor-in-Chief mean? What do you mean, 'won't be going'?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"To be honest with you, Brother Moqi, on this journey I have seen the mountains and rivers shattered, and I feel much like Du Gongbu did when he left the capital during the An-Shi Rebellion. I only regret that I lack His Majesty's literary talent to fully express my feelings.\" Hu Yin said earnestly. \"And once this mood arose, I conceived the thought of requesting an external post... I thought that even serving as a Department Magistrate, or staying in Guanxi as a military secretary, as long as I could do something practical for the country, it would be better than standing idle in the court of Dongjing!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Moqi Xie wanted to speak but stopped.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Now, a dignified Imperial Censor leaving the capital to take up a post could not possibly be just a military secretary, nor even merely a Department Magistrate... What a joke? Even a waste like Wang Xie was Prefect of Fengxiang Prefecture, even an arrogant fellow like Qu Duan was Prefect of Yan'an Prefecture, and even Wu Jie, who served under Qu Duan, was Prefect of Huaide Army. How could Hu Yin be ranked alongside these men? Therefore, since he had requested an external post, at the very least he would replace Wang Shu as Grand Coordinator, and at most he might even replace Yuwen Xuzhong in some important duty like the Defense Commissioner of Chang'an.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>However, what did this have to do with him?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"As for the reasons and today's matters, I will naturally write a memorial and send it up. But I have one request: please, Adjutant Moqi, be sure to present these words to His Majesty in person... Say that Hu Yin knows that the grand strategy of resisting the Jin Jun in court can no longer be shaken. I am not only useless in court, but have repeatedly obstructed major state policies with my pedantry. And once I take an external post, Hu Yin also knows that I do not understand military affairs, so I will never act on my own authority. In military matters, I will only follow the words of seasoned generals... I beg His Majesty to give me this chance.\" As he spoke, Hu Mingzhong, in his filthy underclothes, made a deep bow in the courtyard to Moqi Xie, who was equally disheveled. \"And no matter what, since the Jingkang Incident, Hu Yin's heart to serve the country and his resolve to break with the Jin Jun have never wavered in the slightest.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For some reason, facing the other man, Moqi Xie felt a rare sense of panic rise in his heart... The last time he had been so flustered was when he bore the dragon banner and followed His Majesty Zhao out of Nanyang by night.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Counting the time, that was only three or four months ago.\u003C\u002Fp>",3466,"2026-06-06T07:45:46.639Z",1,"Novelzhen Translator","a2decb1e6903c8a01494bd801c35cb4a72df2076797551f091194fa83ef7c3ad","shao-song-chapter-180","shao-song-chapter-178",489,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fshao-song-cover.jpg"]